Refridgerate Butts and then pull?

[newbeestl]

Do butts need to be pulled before cooling down? I have some smoking now and I'm thinking about just putting them in the fridge after they rest in the cooler for an hour or two and then pull them tomorrow. Is that ok to do?

 

[pineywoods]

They pull much better when still warm

 

[the dude abides]

You can. I find it easier pulling when warm though.

 

[fire it up]

I would really try to just pull them today. You can let them rest in the cooler for 6-7 hours and they should still be well above the danger zone so if you need to take a little siesta you could.
As stated they do pull better when warm. I suppose you could reheat them and pull tomorrow but I wouldn't have a clue as to the best way to reheat a full butt.
If trying to pull tomorrow when cold I would figure your best bet would be to try and chop the meat uyp as opposed to pulling and that should work out better.

 

[irishteabear]

Don't wait until tomorrow. Pull the butt while it's warm, the moisture and fat is still dispersed throughout the meat and it's much easier to pull. If you wait until it's cold the moisture will have firmed up again, making it much more difficult to pull.

 

[newbeestl]

Ok, I'll pull it today. Shouldn't be a problem. What's the minimum time it needs to rest in the cooler?

 

[irishteabear]

Let it rest at least an hour in the cooler. It will be very hot, be careful pulling it.

 

[mballi3011]

^^^^^^^ like they all said pull today^^^^^^^^ you don't want it to tighten up not only it will want to dry out. pullit and put on the finishing sauce and it will be nice and moist at dinner time.

 

[pinkmeat]

It will only take 5 minutes. Well worth it IMO.

 

[newbeestl]

Well, pulling while warm seems to be the way to go. I pulled it all yesterday after resting in the cooler for about an hour. I then put it in the fridge in some big containers. I took it out of the containers today and packed it in vacuum bags, vacuumed sealed it and put it in the freezer. There was a few large chunks I broke apart and it wasn't nearly as easy as yesterday. I'm glad I pulled it while it was hot. Thanks!

This was my first big smoke for a big party (8 butts). I've been taking pictures and I'll post a q-view report tomorrow. So far, so good though. The party is next weekend, so the report from the guests will be the real test! I started with 65 lbs or bone it butts and I have 42 lbs of pulled pork in the freezer. I was very surprise how much work it was. Not nearly as easy at 1 or 2 butts!

 

[fire it up]

Glad it worked out for ya so far.
Are you planning on sauces or anything?
I would suggest you give SoFlaQuer's finishing sauce a try, it's great!
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...uer%27s&page=4

Good luck

 

[amdisc]

This what I use when I pulling pork..I hope this will help. They really do work great

http://cgi.ebay.com/BEAR-PAWS-MEAT-H...ayphotohosting

Happy SmokeN'

Sunny St. Petersburg, FL

 

[rickw]

Those bear claws are a must imo for pulling. They're also great for taking larger pieces of meat off the smoker, a must have.

 

[newbeestl]

Bear paws look good! I'm going to order a pair of those.

 

[bman62526]

Yep, Got bear paws for Christmas last year...best invention for pullin'!

Also, like someone else posted - say you have 3 or 4 (or 8!) butts going...the paws make it REAL easy to move or rotate your meat around the smoker, and also for removing the meat when it's done.

 

[amdisc]

I think these are a must have for the serious smoker,,,I was about to wear out my hands before I got mine

Happy SmokeN'

Sunny St. Petersburg, Fl

 

[oneshot]

Thanks for the info. and the link. I ordered a set today and will let you know how I like them.
The PAWS look really HANDY....